Eyup Sabri Hand Carved Meerschaum Dragon Pipe

I can't give you any information, but that is an awesome pipe!

Fantastic! :clap:

Now that is a dragon !

Nice pipe, Joe. My name's Pat; I'm a brand new member here as of this morning, but I've landed on this blog several times during past searches for the same kind of elusive Eyup Sabri information you're looking for. Believe it or not, I just scored a near-twin (or should I say 'triplet'?) to your 3-headed dragon: another Eyup Sabri 3-headed dragon, this one with red-jeweled eyes and heads on scaly, snakey necks that extend up and out from beneath the bowl and turn back (freestanding) around the bowl to look back toward the mouthpiece. No case or tamper or certificate with mine, but it is in perfect unsmoked condition and this morning I feel like the luckiest meerschaum collector on the planet. My Sabri question is this: were there TWO Sabri's carving in Eskisehir in the latter part of the 20th century? You and I undoubtedly have pipes carved by an Eyup Sabri who signed the shank collars of his works with two large script initials, "E.S.", usually preceded by a date, and his style of carving suggests he was heavily influenced by Heironymous Bosch's paintings. However, I have what I believe to be several examples of a DIFFERENT Sabri, one who carved very detailed large sultans and vikings, and who sometimes signed their shanks "O. Sabri", except that the "O" has what looks like a tiny stem emerging from it's top at about the 1 0'clock position and curling to the right. Can you give a couple of meercats some help here, Fred?

What an extraordinary looking thing. I think I would be afraid to smoke it.

The Turkish carvers can produce some startling designs. I can fully understand people collecting them. It seems a shame to smoke such a work of art, although some would argue that smoking the pipe brings out the subtle effect of the carvers art. You have a beautiful pipe there and I believe there is a book in Turkish on the chap that carved it. I lived in Istanbul for about a year and often would see pipes in the curio shops off Istkikla Street among other places. I will email my friend Idil and ask her what the book is called and maybe you can get one through Amazon although I suspect it will be in Turkish although I do seem to remember it was lavishly illustrated.

Exquisite! Really like the three headed dragon.

Thanks for all the kind words about the 3-headed dragon. To see more pictures, along with photos of some of my other vintage virgin meers and two of my 'frequent-flyer' favorites, go to the album under my profile. And should anything in there ignite your passion, don't be shy; I've never been one to stand in the way of true love.

That's a sharp looking pipe! I don't think I could find it in me to smoke it though. It's too damn nice.

very nice, I am envious, I want one, I need a second Meer.
Found some links for you
http://www.instappraisal.com/appraisal/vintage-meerschaum-pipe-1983-eyup-sabri-3-headed-dragon
http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/carved-meerschaum-pipe-by-eyup-sabri,-istanbul,-608-c-db82f17987
Welcome to the forum MeerCatPat, nice to have you with us and thanks for sharing the information

I don't know anything about a different Sabri, but this dragon pipe is very much in the style of Eyup Sabri, one of the earlier carvers to begin signing their pipes along with Ismet Bekler and Ismail Ozel. Lovely find there! Sabri's boxed pipes often came with those meerschaum tampers. His stems sometimes, such as in your case, look like black horn, but I haven't examined one so I don't know if it's horn or just marbled plastic.